Turf rolling device for turf-cutting machine

ABSTRACT

A turf or sulky roller which, in use, is drawn behind the cutting knives of a turf-cutting machine so as to engage a turned over portion of each turf cut by the knives comprises a first holding down component which prevents the turned-over portion from falling back to the ground until it can be engaged by a scoop which turns the turned over portion into a started roll for completion by a secondary turf roller, for example, a rack.

[ 51 Apr. 25, 1972 United States Patent Bibby L O c S [54] TURF ROLLING DEVICE FOR TURF- CUTTING MACHENE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed:

139,964 4/1953 Sweden................,.................107/9A 27,367 3/1933 Netherlands....,...........,..........107/9B [21] App1.No.:

[ 1 Foreign Application Pr Data Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Oct 31 1969 Assistant Examiner-C. W. Hanor Great Britain......................53,381/69 Attorney-Larson, Taylor & Hinds [57] ABSTRACT A turfor sulky roller which, in use, is drawn behind the cuttin [58] Field of Search 107/9 D; 242/8652 knives of a turf-cutting machine so as to engage a turned 0v portion of each turf cut by the knives comprises a first holding down component which prevents the turned-over portion UNITED STATES PATENTS from falling back to the ground until it can be engaged by a 2,164,246 6/1939 Kirkpatrick..................... 3,464,641 7/1969 Brouwer............ 3,509,944 5/1970 Brouwer et a1.

EATENTED R 2 5 I972 SHEET 2 BF 4 PATENTED AFR 2 5 m2 SHEET 3 [IF 4 PATEMEBAFR 25 I972 3. 658, 1 34 SHEETHUF 4 'MACHINE MOVfMENT F164. 22 H05. H Q W 1 l 04 1 F/a] H08. F/GQ V-F/aIO. H017. H672. I

TURF ROLLING DEVICE FOR TURF-CUTTING MACHINE This invention appertains to means for use in co-operation with a turf cutting machine, for acting on and rolling up into neat, easily transportable rolls, relatively long and narrow turves, or sods, as they are sometimes called, successively cut by the machine whilst being driven over grass in a straight line. Such a means is commonly, and will hereinafter, be referred to as a turf, or sulky roller.

Such a turf-cutting machine is provided with a horizontally disposed transverse turf cutting blade and a pair of vertical knives at respectively opposite ends of this blade, the latter and the said knives being carried by two connected side arms which are adapted to be rapidly reciprocated back and forth with a vibratory motion for cutting a turf as the wheeled machine is driven forwardly over grassed ground. That is to say, the transverse blade is set as flat as possible to make a horizontal cut longitudinally beneath and parallel to the surface of the ground, the distance beneath the surface determining the thickness of the turf or sod, whereas the two vertical knives, spaced apart laterally a distance equal to the desired width of the turf, make linear cuts vertically to produce the longitudinal cut edges of the turf. The powered turf cutting mechanism of the machine includes a cut-off unit comprising a guillotine knife which is mounted in a casing and is vertically movable downwards at predetermined intervals during advance of the machine, to make the vertical transverse cuts necessary to separate from one another the successively produced turves. The equal distances between these transverse cuts, controlled from a metering wheel, determine the length of the cut turves. Conveniently the guillotine blade is also utilized to pick up the cut edge of the turf and turn it over as the machine moves forwardly.

A turf-cutting machine of the kind described is customarily provided with an attached turf roller, or sulky", roller. This attachment is towed behind or carried by the turf cutting machine and, by virtue of the forward movement of the machine over and relatively to the stationary turves, acts on the rear end portion of each successively cut turf which has been picked up and turned over by the combined upward and forward movement of the guillotine blade as it withdraws, following a cut-off operation whilst the machine moves forwardly. The attachment engages this portion of the turf and turns it over thereupon immediately rolling the turf over and over into a roll. Ideally, the rear end of the roller attachment leaves each roll of turfjust as the flap" constituting the front portion of the turf is hanging down and almost touching the ground.

A conventional turf or sulky roller comprises a primary rack located directly behind the cut-off unit and designed to function as a turf roll starter by picking up, i.e. engaging, the turned over rear end portion of a cut turf and, immediately behind this primary rack, a rear rack which is suspended from a tow bar extending rearwardly from the back end of the turfcutting machine and is adapted to take over from the roll starter and to complete the rolling operation.

The primary rack conventionally consists of longitudinally extending parallel carrier members of angle or channel section to the undersides of which are welded suitably spaced transverse blades from the lower edges of which protrude series of short pins, spikes or the like. The primary rack, moreover, is adjustable up and down, depending on the thickness of the cut turves or sods.

As to the rear rack, this is somewhat longer than the primary rack but is similarly constructed thereto in so far as it comprises longitudinally extending parallel angle irons or channels having welded to their undersides spaced blades. These blades, however, are plain ones inasmuch as they are not in this case furnished with any depending pins or spikes. The rear rack is so suspended from beneath the aforementioned tow bar as to be upwardly and rearwardly inclined so that the space between the rack and the ground progressively increases from the front end to the rear end commensurately with the increasing diameter ofa turf roll during rolling.

The tow bar has thereon a seat upon which the driver of the turf-cutting machine can sit, and the length and the height of the rear rack are so adjustable that as previously mentioned the flap of each rolled up cut turf hangs down and almost touches the ground.

It has been found in practice, that a turf roll starter in the hereinbefore described form of a primary rack having series of downwardly protruding pins or spikes is most unsatisfactory in that it frequently fails to pick up the rear end portion of a cut turf because this portions has fallen flat on the ground after being released by the guillotine blade. Whenever this happens it is, ofcourse, quite impossible for the rear rack to perform its function of taking over from the primary rack and completing a rolling operation. Consequently during a run of the turf cutting machine, several cut turves remain flat on the ground in an unrolled condition.

The object of the present invention is to provide for use in a turf or sulky roller which operates in co-operation with a turfcutting machine, a generally improved, relatively inexpensive and efficient turf roll starter unit designed to overcome the aforementioned difficulties.

According to this invention a secondary turf roller, for example, as previously known, is preceded by a turf roll starter unit comprising, in combination,

i. a component which is adapted, as the turf roller is drawn forwardly over the ground behind a turf cutting machine, to engage the turned over rear end portion of the turf immediately it has been released and to hold down this portion before progressively releasing it, and

ii. a scoop which is located immediately behind the holdingdown component to receive therefrom the said released end portion of the turf which the scoop thereupon immediately engages, lifting it from the ground and turning it over and forwardly before passing over it.

Thus, the idea is that as and when the improved turf roll starter unit passes over the rear portion of a cut turf freed from the ground by a transverse cut performed by the cut-off unit of the machine and turned over by the action of the guillotine blade of the machine, the holding-down component shall first grip the turned over extremity of the turf in such a way as to prevent it falling back on to the ground and advancing forwardly by virtue of movement of the turf roller over and relatively to the stationary cut turf, shall progressively release the held down rear end portion of the latter as it enters the front of the scoop. In this way it is made quite certain that the tail end portion of each cut turf shall be properly received in, without missing, the scoop. Immediately the released rear end portion of the turf has safely entered the open front of the scoop, the outer surface of this portion is struck by the appropriately shaped back of the advancing scoop and engaged thereby. As a consequence, the upwardly deflected end is as a matter of course, picked up, turned over and forwardly by a camming action of the scoop thereon and, by the time the still advancing scoop has ridden clear of the started roll the latter is positively acted upon by a secondary turf roller, such as the rear rack and completed.

In a convenient embodiment of the invention, the holdingdown component may be in the form ofa rockable foot having a convex surface or surfaces for engagement with a cut turf right across its entire width, the component being so biassed that it is normally cocked with its rear edge down to meet the opposed extremity of a turf and its front edge up clear of the ground. Whenever the rear edge of the component strikes a turf the component rocks to bring its rear end up and its front edge down whereafter, when the component leaves the turf. the biassing influence restores the component to its original position in readiness for action upon the next turf. In this way the rate of advance of this component over the turf is decreased by virtue of the rolling action which takes place. In such an embodiment, the turf holding-down component may be arranged to pivot freely about an axis which is parallel to the ground and constitutes the geometrical center of an imaginary cylinder containing the convex surface or surfaces of the component, and the biassing means may consist of suitably anchored tension springs.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a general side view ofa turf-cutting machine incorporating a turf or sulky roller in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a view from the opposite side of the machine of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a close-up view of the turf or sulky roller of the machine, and

FIGS. 4 to 14 show, in diagrammatic form, the operation of the roller.

Thus, with reference particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine I is supported by a drive roller 2 and a pair of castor wheels 3, one having been removed in FIG. 2, for clarity, and has an internal combustion engine 4. The machine 1 is driveable by the engine 4 through a gearbox 5 which incorporates a clutch, engageable in response to movement of one of a number of control levers 6 mounted on handlebars 7 of the machine to connect the engine with the drive roller 2.

A tow bar 8 is pivotally coupled to the machine and is supported by a pair of wheels 9. A seat 10 is mounted on the tow bar 8 from which an operator may operate the control levers 6 and steer the machine.

The engine 4 is driveably coupled with a set of cutting knives, shown generally at 11 in FIG. 2, by way of a power take-off, consisting ofa belt 12, a gearbox l3 and a chain drive 14. A measuring wheel 15 controls the drive to the knives in a manner which will be more fully described hereinafter.

A turf roll starter unit 16 (shown in more detail in FIG. 3) is mounted beneath the machine adjacent the knives 11 and a secondary turf roller, in the form of a conventional rack 17 (shown in part only in FIG. 2) is suspended from the tow bar 8 adjacent the starter unit 16.

The various components of the machine will now be described in greater detail with particular reference to the operation of the machine.

Thus, with reference to FIG. 2, the knives ll consist of a pair of side blades, one shown at 18, mounted on adjustable arms 19 on each side of the machine. When the machine is in use these side blades 19 are lowered to cut a pair of parallel slots in the turf. A horizontal blade is mounted between the side blades 18 and the arms 19 are coupled with the gearbox 13 through arms 19a in such a way that, with the machine in use and the horizontal blade 20 lowered so that is passes beneath the turf, the blades 18 and 20 are given a rapid back and forth vibratory motion which severs the turf from the ground beneath. A third guillotine blade 21 is mounted on a vertically reciprocable member not shown, and driven through the gearbox 13 to perform a vertical cutting operation on a severed strip of turf. The operation of this blade 21 is effected by the gearbox 13 in response to the measuring wheel 15 (FIG. I) being rotated by the forward movement of the machine through a predetermined distance. Thus, with the machine in use, the knives l1 produce a series of cut turves of a set width, thickness and length, which are left on the ground.

The turf roll starter unit 16 (see in particular FIG. 3) consists firstly of a holding-down component 22 in the form of a rockable foot consisting of a length of round-section rod 22a to form its rear edge, such length corresponding approximately with the width of a turf, i.e. the spacing between the side blades 18, a flat section bar 22b of the same length to form its front edge and a plurality of spaced arcuate connecting pieces 22c welded at their opposite ends to the said rod and bar respectively. The holding down component is pivotally mounted on a pair of angular brackets 23 connecting a pair of lugs 22d with a casing of the machine adjacent the knives. The upper end portions of the brackets 23 have slots formed therein to enable the entire turf holding-down component to be adjustable heightwise relatively to the ground. The holdingdown component may pivot about its mounting axis, which is parallel to the ground and constitutes the geometrical center of an imaginary cylinder containing the convex surface of the component, under the returning force of a pair of return springs 24 which bias it into theposition shown in FIG. 3.

The second part of the starter unit 16 is a scoop 25 (also shown in detail in FIG. 3) which is made up from a pair of parallel flat section bars 25a, again of a length approximately equal to the width ofa cut turf, these bars being connected by a series of arcuate members 25b so arranged as to provide the scoop with a concave back. The scoop is also provided with a pair of lugs 25c which are pivotally connected to heightwise adjustable brackets 26 attached to the casing of the machine. Centrally between its ends the scoop is pivotally connected to a curved rod 27 the upper end of which projects upwards and passes through a close fitting aperture in a towing hitch 28 (FIG. 2) for the tow bar 8. A coil compression spring 29 surrounds this rod. The spring bears at its upper end against the underside of the towing hitch 28 and at its lower end presses down on a transverse pivot pin 30 by means of which the curved rod is articulated to the scoop. Accordingly the coil compression spring biasses the scoop 25 into the position shown in FIG. 3.

The secondary turf roller, or rack, 17 consists of a lead-in section comprising a pair of longitudinally extending parallel angle irons 17a having four spaced transverse blades 17b furnished with a number of vertically depending teeth 17c (FIG. 2). Theremainder of the rack 17 is of similar construction to, but is longer than, the lead-in section and has plain transverse blades 17d (FIG. I).

The operation of the machine on a single cut turf leaving the blades 11 will now be considered with reference to the diagrammatic FIGS. 4 to 14.

Thus, in FIGS. 4,5 and 6, the rising guillotine 21, having cut the rear edge of a turf T, lifts this rear edge and turns it forwardly as the machine moves forwards. In FIG. 6 the guillotine blade 21 is just clearing the turned-over portion of the turf which has, however, been engaged and is held in this position by the holding-down component 22.

As the forward movement of the machine continues the holding-down component 22 rolls over the turned over portion of the turf (FIGS. 7 and 8). This ensures that the holdingdown component remains in contact with the turf for as long as is necessary to permit the continued forward movement of the machine to bring the scoop 25 against the rear edge of the turf (FIG. 9). When the scoop 25 has engaged the turf the component 22 falls off the folded portion of the turf and returns to its upwardly cocked position (FIG. 9).

The concave turf-engaging surface of the scoop 25 engages the turned-over end portion of the turf and, as the machine moves forwards, lifts this engaged portion upwards. over and forwardly as shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, with the result that the cut end of the turf is tucked in and a roll is started.

As the scoop 25 completes its roll-starting action the secondary roller, or rack, 17 commences to act upon the started roll (FIG. 12) thus preventing it unrolling as the scoop is carried clear by the forward movement of the machine and returns to its initial position (FIG. 13).

The secondary roller, or rack 17, now completes the rolling operation by continuously moving the end of the turf forwardly until, when the turf reaches the end of the rack, it is in the form shown at T, in FIG, 14.

It will be appreciated that the operation described above proceeds continuously while the machine is cutting turf, the holding-down component and the scoop returning towards their starting positions, under the influence of their return springs, as they clear each turf, in preparation for the next.

It will also be appreciated that the action of the guillotine blade, in turning the end of the turf up, could be duplicated by any other suitable means, for example, a lifting bar immediately preceding the holding-down component.

Iclaim:

1. A turf or sulky roller comprising, in combination, a holding-down component which is pivotally mounted, by means of support arms, on a frame the holding-down component having a forwardly facing turf-holding-down surface of convex form which defines in part a cylindrical surface of rotation of the component about its pivot and being provided with a return spring extending between the component and the frame. a

scoop and comprising a plurality of generally vertical blades spaced apart along longitudinal carrier members which extend away from the scoop the blades being at progressively increasing heights therealong.

2. A turf or sulky roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein the secondary turf roller is mounted on wheels and is pivotally coupled with the frame.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,658,13 Dated April 5, 1972 Inventor-(s) PHILLIP BIIBBYY It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN THE HEADING:

Please correct the address of the inventor so that it reads as follows:

The Waterfalls, Lutterworth Road, Gilmorton, 1 Rugby Warwickshire,

England I Signed and sealed this 10th day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer 7 Y Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC awe-p69 U.S, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 0-366-334 

1. A turf or sulky roller comprising, in combination, a holdingdown component which is pivotally mounted, by means of support arms, on a frame the holding-down component having a forwardly facing turf-holding-down surface of convex form which defines in part a cylindrical surface of rotation of the component about its pivot and being provided with a return spring extending between the component and the frame, a scoop which is located immediately behind the holding-down component and has a forwardly facing turf-engaging surface of concave form, the scoop being pivotally mounted, by means of arms, on the frame on an axis which is parallel to the edges of the turf engaging surface and being biassed into a turf-engaging position, in which a lower edge of the turf-engaging surface is below and behind the said axis, by means of a return spring which is connected between the scoop and the frame and a secondary turf roller connected to the frame behind the scoop and comprising a plurality of generally vertical blades spaced apart along longitudinal carrier members which extend away from the scoop the blades being at progressively increasing heights therealong.
 2. A turf or sulky roller as claimed in claim 1 wherein the secondary turf roller is mounted on wheels and is pivotally coupled with the frame. 